Renee Petrillo Escapes the Rat Race

Renee Petrillo Writes:

When I was a kid growing up in New York City, people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. My answer was “I don’t know, but whatever I’m doing it’s going to be someplace warm.” I was obsessed with finding warmth, defined by year-round 80°F temperatures. In my adult years, I moved across the country three times, settling in Arizona for 16 years. It was almost perfect: great job, great husband, great house, not-so-great winters. Next. The Caribbean was calling, but how to choose an island? A sailboat seemed like a great idea despite our inability to sail (a minor detail). The next thing we knew, we were sailing our own 37-foot catamaran down the Eastern Caribbean, island hopping from Miami to Grenada, and learning what it’s really like to live onboard a boat 24/7. Three years later, we settled into our new Caribbean home and enjoy constant 82°F temperatures. I’m so smart.

While converting my sailing blog into a book as a memento for friends and family, I found myself constantly thinking “if only someone had told us” and “romantic night sail my…” Sure our escapades were funny and would entertain everyone from armchair sailors to old salts, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t try to help prepare wanna-be cruisers for the adventure ahead. And hence, A Sail of Two Idiots: 100+ Lessons and Laughs from a Non-Sailor Who Quit the Rat Race, Took the Helm, and Sailed to a New Life in the Caribbean was born. Written for anyone who’s ever wondered what it’s like to “live the dream.”

A Sail of Two Idiots

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